The Best Things About Summer
According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, these are the ten best things about the Summer:
- Bumblebees
- Wildflower meadows
- Thunderstorms
- Crickets and wildlife
- Walking Barefoot
- Green trees
- Hummingbird hawk-moths
- Rockpooling
- Stargazing
- Wild swimming
It isn’t a bad list, although I have never ever seen a Hummingbird hawk-moth and I most definitely take issue with the wild swimming. I do not get into large amounts of outdoor cold water for anything or anyone. While I may paddle in the sea a bit, it is normally with the aid of a wetsuit. If you love wild swimming – good for you! You just won’t find me joining in.
I’m not so sure about the thunderstorms either. I know we need rain and that the last time that we experienced 40 degree heat was no picnic. I would rather prefer my Summers to be dry though. Sitting on a south-western beach in the UK with the wind howling and the rain lashing down is no fun either.
When the sun shines and the weather is clear (and not too hot), the Summer is the best time of the year. Having lovely long days, where the sun comes up early and goes to bed late is just wonderful. Of the above list, I totally understand the joy of seeing the Bees and shading underneath the fully leaved trees. Walking barefoot across the grass (even if it is just your small patch of back lawn) is good for your soul. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere with little light pollution, seeing the stars on a clear Summer night is an amazing spectacle.
We love a bit of outdoor living, where you barbecue and sit around the fire, wrapped in a blanket as it slowly gets dark. In the UK, where we are dependent on truly unpredictable weather, there sadly aren’t that many chances to do this, so when we get some, we take full advantage of them, grabbing them with both hands. Here are my top five things to do during the Summer months:
The sun, the warmth and not having to wear my coat and two jumpers
Or my woolly socks and my shawl for that matter, though both do come in handy on the slightly chillier evenings. Being warm without the need for the heating being on makes me happy. Ok, you have to be careful not to burn and drink plenty of fluids but a bit of sunshine (well shaded) is wonderful. Life just feels that bit better when the sun shines on you. No more winter woollies and I get to live in my sunglasses. Speaking as someone who now finds their hips are beginning to hurt, your joints don’t ache as much as they do in the cold either.
Long Days and shorter nights
The longest day (here) is 21st June. It’s the day when the daylight is the same length of time as the darkness. You can go out for longer, you can be outside doing things for longer, you can spend more time doing things you enjoy together for longer. You can resist putting on the lights for longer. The warmth and sunshine (provided we get some) helps to boost your mood and makes you feel happier.
Summer Holidays
It’s the time of year when we try to go away. Having kids means that we are restricted as to when we do this, so the end of July and August is always looked forward to as the time when we get to spend more time as a family. We don’t have to worry about routine so much, the time we go to bed and have to get up in the morning. Things slow down and the stress and strain of the days (even when we have to work) feels just a little bit less. Some of our best memories are of being on the beach, my son digging his hole in the sand in the hope of finding water (or Australia) and me and my daughter going shell hunting.
Summer Holidays
Think of the summer drinks, the ice cream that you can eat, the fresh fruit and veg. Food cooked outdoors on the barbecue tastes so much better. Ok, you get the odd Wasp and you need to ensure that the food doesn’t give you a good dose of food poisoning, but food in Summer is just lovely. Picnics can be great, depending upon who is organising them. Plus, is you have grown your own you get to begin to eat it. Picking your own beans and tomatoes and eating them after the effort you have put in makes you feel proud.
Slowing down and not caring
Having a day off and doing things you don’t get time to do normally becomes a thing in the Summer. Being able to stop and take time to look around you and be with those that you want to spend your precious time with is something we don’t get enough of. But when the weather is good, you know you must take your chance and do it while you can. It is also the time of year that I find that I can wear my oldest t-shirts and shorts without being judged, read real books from cover to cover (actually the only time that I get to read), listen to audiobooks and podcasts and just sit in the garden as the light fades, pondering the possibilities of life. It makes you glad to be here.
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